Serial paedophile Gavin Shaun Schuster to remain in custody pending appeal over his release

SERIAL paedophile Gavin Shaun Schuster has been granted release into a care facility near playgrounds — but prosecutors plan to appeal the decision.

Court sketch of Gavin Schuster - artist Tim Ide

SERIAL sex predator Gavin Shaun Schuster has been granted release from custody into a northern Adelaide suburb, triggering concerns for nearby families and day care centres.

Schuster’s release was on Monday approved by the Supreme Court but prosecutors immediately appealed the decision and Schuster will remain in custody pending the outcome.

Justice John Sulan set strict conditions for Schuster’s release, including he not be allowed to leave the Anglicare facility at Kilburn without an approved chaperone.

Schuster, 40, has spent decades in prison for repeated offending against both boys and girls, and has been indefinitely detained as an uncontrollable sex predator since 2000 save for a short period in 2008, when he was released and immediately reoffended.

At a previous hearing, Justice Sulan said conditions for Schuster’s release should be set by the Parole Board.

On Monday, Justice Sulan amended conditions set by the Parole Board to include a condition that Schuster not leave the premises at any time without permission and “only in the company of a person approved by the community corrections officer and while outside the premises you remain in the company of that person”.

He said Schuster must also remain within 10m of the facility’s perimeter for the purposes of electronic monitoring.

If Schuster breached his 10m exclusion zone, or removed the anklet, Correctional Services would be alerted within 20 seconds of the violation and police called.

Detective Sergeant Michael Bavey, from the Special Crime Investigation Branch, gave evidence earlier this month that it would take police between five and 10 minutes to respond to that call.

One Kilburn family day care worker — who did not want to be named — said Schuster’s release could jeopardise her business.

“The police’s promise that they could get here in 10 minutes is ridiculous — a lot can happen to a child in 10 minutes,” she said.

She said she had good security but there were a lot vulnerable children living in the area.

“I’ve already spoken to the prosecutor and was assured he would not be positioned here (Anglicare Kilburn),” she said

“I’m hoping he won’t be positioned there.”

Since the age of 12, Schuster has befriended children, both boys and girls, and then sexually abused them when he feels “frustrated” with daily life.

His current bid for supervised release began in 2013, but has stalled due to a lack of suitable accommodation for him.

Schuster’s doctors insist he must be released now to avoid institutionalisation, while Justice Sulan has previously conceded he will “always” be a risk but “nothing is perfect in this world”.

Nearby resident Jodi Daniels, who stared a petition at Change.org which has more than 14,500 signatures, said Schuster should remain in custody given his repeated offending.

“Kilburn has spoken and we don’t want him here,” she said.

“We would like to see him remain in custody indefinitely ... he is still a risk to children.”

Prosecutor Lucy Boord on Monday sought a stay on Schuster’s release for 10 days “to allow the for the director to file a notice of appeal”.

The matter will return to court to hear that appeal.

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